Melida Ortega (aka “Meli”) is a daughter of Nicaraguan immigrants and the eldest sister to 4 siblings. She’s also born and raised in the county of Wade.

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She became an attorney because she has always been driven by intellect, curiosity, and a passion for meaningful conversation. Her journey into law began in high school when she joined the debate team at Miami Senior High School. For Melida, debate was about exploring ideas, challenging perspectives, and engaging in thoughtful, critical thought. This love for intellectual engagement would ultimately guide her decision to pursue law school.
 

Her path to law school was hers: she sought a profession that would feed her intellectual curiosity. Law offered the perfect environment for her to continuously learn, explore, and push the boundaries of her own doubts. During her time in law school, Melida developed a deep appreciation for critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and the power of empathy, skills that would become central to her practice as an attorney.
 

After law school, Melida began her career as a Public Defender in advocating for others, especially the individuals in society that everyone shuns. She found immense fulfillment in standing up for individuals. She thrived in advocating for the rights of her clients, believing strongly in the importance of ensuring that her clients don’t feel alone. Melida naturally gravitated to family law because she witnessed first hand the consequences of a broken co-parenting system. The ability to stand up, fight, and come out of it with experience and the ability to move with compassion and understanding is invaluable. It is the driving force in Melida’s practice. 

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In her free time, Melida loves to play splendor, chess, and black jack. She enjoys to travel and eat. Anytime you want to omakase, she’s down. 

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